February 13, 2020 Issue No. 9 Join the Educator Committee The Educator Committee is a forum for Canadian medical laboratory educators to collaborate on areas of common interest. Committee members act as a conduit for effective two-way communication between CSMLS and the educator community across Canada, providing their unique perspective on accreditation, volunteer recruitment, educational needs and more. Want to join? We are looking for an educator from the Atlantic region to join the Educator Committee. Please see the CSMLS Educator Committee tab in the Volunteers section of our website here for more details. Deadline to apply is February 28. New MLA Certification Requirement in Nova Scotia It’s official: The Nova Scotia Health Authority has moved forward with hiring only CSMLS certified MLAs (current employees are grandfathered in). All new hires are now required to have successfully completed an accredited MLA program and have CSMLS MLA certification. Of note, CSMLS certification and membership is also a requirement for most MLAs working in Newfoundland and New Brunswick. Exam AccommodationsThe CSMLS is committed to providing accessible and equitable services to all Exam candidates, including administering the Exam in a way that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities and/or religious observations. The CSMLS will make the Exam accessible to every extent possible, this includes making special accommodations for candidates who have provided evidence of these needs. In reviewing accommodation requests, the CSMLS must balance the rights of the individual Exam candidate with its mandate to protect the public interest through a fair, secure, valid and reliable Exam. The CSMLS has the right to approve or deny requests for special accommodation. Accommodation requests will only be considered before Exam registration opens. If you have a student that requires an accommodation, please advise them to review the accommodation requirements in the CSMLS National Certification Examination Handbook before contacting the CSMLS Certification Department at exam@csmls.org. These candidates must contact the office BEFORE registration opens and they CANNOT register for the Exam online. Additional MLA Exam Session in August 2020 With the unique year-round format of MLA training, CSMLS is piloting an additional fourth MLA session. In December 2019, we sent out a survey to all accredited MLA programs in Canada to identify the best time to have this additional session, and an overwhelming majority of survey respondents chose August. On August 27, 2020, we will pilot the additional MLA Exam session at Prometric’s 16 permanent Testing Centres, as shown below. If you believe there will be a larger number of your students interested in this Exam session than the listed number of blocked seats, please let us know as soon as possible by contacting exam@csmls.org. Practice Tests for CSMLS Certification Exams CSMLS MLT-General and MLA Practice Tests are now available. These practice tests are designed to provide a better understanding of how the CSMLS Certification Exam questions are structured. They are also intended to settle nerves around writing the Exam by helping candidates determine which areas of the competency profile may require more of their focus. The practice tests include links to access additional study resources. Learn more here. ECG Knowledge Certificate Quiz — FREE for a limited time The CSMLS Knowledge in Electrocardiography (ECG) Certificate quiz is being offered free for MLA candidates for a limited time. Created to prove recipients’ understanding of ECG, this certificate is a great addition to any resume. Those registered for the February 2020 MLA Certification Exam can use the coupon code shown on their Exam confirmation email to take the quiz and receive the certificate for free. MLA candidates have until March 31, 2020 to redeem this offer. Who Are You? When people don’t fully understand your work and how important it is to patient care, you might feel unseen or unappreciated. We want you to tell the world: who are medical laboratory professionals? Tell us who you are to patients, to your colleagues or to the health care system. What do you want people to understand about who you are, not just what you do? In a 10 second (or less) video, explain who you are by completing this sentence: As a medical laboratory professional, I am… Please submit your video by February 18 here. Beyond Phlebotomy Symposium from BD and CSMLS Registration is open for the annual Beyond Phlebotomy Symposium presented by BD and CSMLS. On March 28, 2020, join the medical laboratory community and fellow educators at the Michener Institute in Toronto, Ontario, for an engaging series of sessions from leaders in the field of phlebotomy. Can’t make it to Toronto? No problem! Register for the virtual event to learn from anywhere. Discounts are available for CSMLS student members. Find more information and register here.
Registration for LABCON2020 Now Open! Join us in the beautiful city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, on June 5–7 for LABCON2020. With three days of innovating and inspiring sessions, delegates will learn from industry-leading experts and network with peers from across Canada. Early Bird and Student rates are available. Information and registration here. |